Listening to the Bell and Walking Meditation

Summary

The talk centers on a Dharma teaching delivered during the second week of a summer retreat at the Still Water Meditation Hall in Upper Hamlet, within the Plum Village tradition. The speaker begins by introducing the practice of chanting the name of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of deep listening and great compassion, and explains that the chant is not merely devotional prayer but a method for generating mindfulness and compassion. The core teaching is that when suffering is deeply understood—first within oneself, then in others, and finally in the wider world—compassion naturally arises. Compassion, in turn, has the power to heal and transform both individuals and communities. A major theme is the importance of returning home to oneself and listening to one’s own suffering rather than escaping it. The speaker observes that many people avoid pain through consumption, entertainment, television, music, reading, or the internet. In contrast, the practice encourages practitioners to recognize the wounded child within, hold suffering tenderly like a mother holding a baby, and allow understanding to emerge. The talk emphasizes that personal suffering is never isolated: it carries the suffering of one’s parents, ancestors, society, nation, and the world. Because of this interconnection, healing one’s own suffering contributes to healing the collective. The speaker repeatedly highlights the role of the Sangha, the community of practitioners, as a source of support. Collective mindfulness generated by the group makes it easier to face pain, fear, anger, and despair without being overwhelmed. The chant of Avalokiteshvara is described in three movements: first, turning inward to one’s own suffering; second, recognizing the suffering of those nearby; and third, acknowledging the suffering of the world, including violence, injustice, fear, and destruction. In each case, the purpose is the same: to awaken compassion and healing energy. The speaker also notes that this collective energy can be extended to absent family members or loved ones who are suffering, including those at home or in the hospital. The talk then shifts to mindfulness of breathing and the practice of stopping. The bell is presented as the voice of the Buddha calling practitioners back to the present moment. When the bell sounds, one should stop talking, stop thinking, and return to the breath. The speaker explains that the mind is often trapped in the past through regret or in the future through fear and uncertainty. Mindful breathing offers freedom from both. Even one conscious breath can bring a person home to the here and now, where life, peace, and happiness are actually available. The speaker stresses that breathing in and out can be joyful, nourishing, and healing, not a burden. Mindful walking is presented as an extension of this same practice. The speaker gives practical guidance on matching steps to the breath, such as saying “I have arrived” on the in-breath and “I am home” on the out-breath. The address of happiness, home, the Kingdom of God, and the Pure Land of the Buddha is said to be the present moment. Walking meditation is described as a way to touch the earth, kiss Mother Earth with one’s feet, and experience freedom from the past and future. The speaker also explains that the number of steps per breath can vary depending on the terrain and one’s capacity, but the essential point is that every step should be joyful, peaceful, and free. The talk concludes with a broader spiritual vision that links Buddhism and Christianity. The speaker identifies the Kingdom of God, Nirvana, and the Pure Land as realities available in the here and now, not distant abstractions. An image of a wave and the ocean is used to illustrate the insight that one is not only a separate wave with a beginning and an end, but also water, part of a larger ultimate reality. This insight removes fear of birth and death and allows one to rest in the ultimate. The final message is that mindfulness, concentration, and the support of the Sangha make it possible to live deeply, heal, and touch the wonders of life in each breath and step.